Safety ski binding



United States Patent l 13,540,749 [72] Inventor Hannes Marker FOREIGN PATENTS lhunlltrlm 51-53, Garmlsch- 1,157,157 12/1957 France 280/1 1.35 Pnrtenkirchemcermlny 1,179,625 12/1958 France 280/11.35 12 1 pp 704,332 1,358,624 3/1964 France 280/] 1.35 [22] Filed Feb. 9, 1968 [45] Patented 17, 1970 Primary Examiner-Leo Fnagha [32] Priority Feb. 10, 1961].! 8 1968 Assistant Exa/nmerM1lton L. Smith [33] Germany Atlorney Fle1t, Gtpple & Jacobson [31] Nos. M72,729 and M76352 [54] SAFETY SKI BINDING 12 Claims 7 Drawing w ABSTRACT: A safety ski binding comprises a toeholder and a [52] US. Cl 280/11-35 h lh ld f engaging h hoot o of said boot endholders Int-Cl A639 9-081 is movable to a release position in response to an excessive [50] Field ofSearch 280/1 1.35 i i force which is transverse to the lohghudinm direction of the ski. The binding comprises also a sole-bearing plate which extends parallel to the surface ofthe ski and is dis osed References Cited close to that boot endholder which is responsive to tw isting UNITED STATES PATENTS forces. The sole-bearing plate is movably held to the surface of 3,446,511 5/1969 Marker 280/1 1.35C the ski. The sole-bearing plate is held by at least one resilient 2,573,955 11/1951 Cubberley. 280/1 l.35(HA) retaining means with freedom of movement in its main plane, 2,676,813 4/1954 Beyl 280/11.35(CB) extending parallel to the surface of the ski. Said freedom of 2,745,672 5/1956 Meier 280/1 l.35(CB) movement is sufficient to permit said sole-bearing plate to fol- 2,846,232 8/1958 Schnell 280/1l.35(HA) low a movement ofthe sole of the boot relative to the ski until 3,199,884 8/1965 Voster et al. 280/1 l.35(CB) the boot is released by the respective boot end holder.

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,749

Sheet of 2 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,749

Sheet 2 01'2' AU AOV/Al Fig. 7

SAFETY SKI BINDING This invention relates to safety ski bindings which comprise the surface of the ski and disposed close to that boot'endholder which is responsive to the twisting forces.

In such knownski bindings, the toeholder or toe iron is responsive to twisting forces and the sole-bearing plate is close to the toeholder. During a fall in a forward -or forwardly inclined direction, when the forward portion of the sole of the boot is forced against the ski, the sole-bearing plate ensures that the friction opposing the outward pivotal movement is not so large as to adversely affect the reliable function of the safety-release device of the toeholder.

A known ski binding having no cableless heelholder comprises a swing plate, which is pivoted adjacent to the heel on an axis that is at right angles to the ski, and that plate extends approximately to the toe-iron. The pivotal axis of the swing plate coincides approximately with the natural axis about which the foot can be twisted. That swing plate has the disadvantage that it has a very large bearing surface on the ski so that there is a considerable friction between the swing plate and the surface of the ski. Besides, ice may form between the swing plate and the ski so that the swing plate becomes locked. A further disadvantage resides in that the swing plate must be centered by hand after every fall and possibly also before any normal application ofthe binding.

Ski bindings have also been provided with sole-bearing plates which do not extend beyond the ball of the foot so that the plate does not contact the surface of the ski in a very large area. Besides, these, plates are provided with means which reduce the friction so that the outward pivotal movement of the plates is facilitated. On the other hand, these sole-bearing movement about an axis adjacent to the heel. For this reason they cannot follow during a fall a forwardly directed component of the movement of the foot so that the release may still be obstructed by friction.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a safety ski binding which has a sole-bearing plate by which the disadvantages of the known designs are avoided.

The invention is based on a safety ski binding which comprises a toeholder and a heelholder for engaging the skiing boot and in which one of said boot endholders is movable to a release position in response to an excessive twisting force which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, said binding comprising also a sole-bearing plate which extends parallel to the surface of the ski and is disposed close to that boot endholder which is responsive to twisting forces, said sole-bearing plate being movably held to the surface ofthe ski. To accomplish the above object, the invention is characterized in that the sole-bearing plate is held by at least one resilient retaining means so as to be movable'in its main plane, extending parallel-to the surface of the ski and within a range which is sufficient to permit said sole-bearing plate to follow a movement of the'sole of the boot relative to the ski until the boot is released by the respective boot endholder.

The resilient retaining means which automatically returns the sole-bearing plate to its centered position after every fall suitably extends from the sole-bearing plate toward the tip and rear end ofthe ski and is secured to the boot endholders ofthe binding.

Two resilient retaining means may be provided for connecting the sole-bearing plate to the respective boot endholders of the binding. v n

It has been found desirable to use strips of rubber or plastics material as resilientretnining means. In order to facilitate the replacement ofa worn or torn retaining means by another. the retaining means are suitably detachably connected to the solebearing plate.

In a development of the invention, the sole-bearing plate may. comprise two layers. This design enables a simple attachment of the resilient retaining means between the two layers. The upper layer, which, does not contact the ski, may be made" from a less valuable material than the other layer, which must have a very low coefficient of friction. To facilitate in this design the replacement of the resilient retaining means, the two layers of the sole-bearing plate are suitably detachably interconnected.

Alternatively; the sole-bearing plate may be formed on its side facing the'surface ofthe ski with a groove, which accommodates part of the endless strip of rubber or plastics material used as a resilient retaining means and which has open ends at that end of the sole-bearing plate which is remote from the boot endholder which is responsiveto twisting forces, and a holding plate may be provided, which is adapted to be screwconnected to the ski and which like the sole-bearing plate isformed with a groove which accommodates part of the strip of rubber or plastics material, which latter groove has open ends at that end ofthe holding plate which faces the end ofthe solebearing plate provided with the open ends of the groove therein, the sole-bearing plate being thicker than the holding plate.

The latter design has.the great advantage that the sole-bearing plate is connected by the resilient retaining means to the holding plate which isfixed to the ski so that the sole-bearing plate is effectively protected from loss or theft whereas the proper function of the sole-bearing plate is not adversely affected.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. I is a top plan view showing a safety ski binding accordingto the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line Il-ll in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. I and showsthe sole-bearing plate'with a different retaining means.

- FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottomiview'showirig a different embodiment of a sole-bearing plate according to the invention and the holding plate with the parts in their normal position relative to each other.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line V-V in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line VI-VI in FIG. 5.

The safety ski binding shown in FIG. 1 comprises a toeholder 1, a heelholder 2 and a sole-bearing plate 3. The toe and heel holders are screw-connected to the ski l5 and may consist of any desired one of the large number of suitable devices which are on the market. For this reason these devices having a low coefficient of friction and is held in simple manner by two endlessrubber strips 4, 5 to the boot endholders 1, 2. The rubber strips are simply applied over suitable parts of the boot endholders and can easily be removed. The rubber strips 4, 5 are also detachably connected to the solebearing plate 3. As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sole-bearing plate has extensions in the form of retaining lugs 6, 7 at its ends facing the tip and rear end of the ski. in position for use,

these lugs are reversely bent downwardly and held in the reversely bent position by a snap fastener joint. which is apparent from FIG. 2. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a sole-bearing plate which consists of two layers 8, 9. The upper layer 8, which does not contact the ski. has buttons l0, 11. which engage registering recesses in the layer 9 in the manner of a snap fastener so that the two layers are interconnected. In their middle part. the layers 8, 9 have recesses. which are in registry and extend throughout the length of the layers. These recesses serve to accommodate the resilient retaining means 12. which consists in this case ofa single. wide. endless rubber strip. The buttons ll serve also to retain the rubber strip. which has holes through which the buttons extend.

In this embodiment. the rubber strip 12 has two plies and is provided at its ends with hooks I3, 14 for holding the solebearing plate to the boot endholders. This design may also be used with ski bindings which have only a toe iron whereas the heel is held by a cable, provided that a heel supporting plate is also provided. In this case, the heel-supporting plate may be provided with means for interengagement, e.g., with the hook 14. v

If the sole-bearing plate comprises two layers, both layers may be made of different materials and only that layer which rests on the ski must have a low coefficient of friction on its ski-contacting surface.

FIGS. to 7 show another embodiment of a sole-bearing plate according to the invention. This embodiment of the solebearing plate 40 has on its underside normally contacting the surface of the ski a U-shaped groove 41, which is enlarged at both ends and accommodates part of an endless rubber strip 42. which holds the sole-bearing plate 40 against a holding plate 43. The latter has a groove 44 also on its side contacting the surface of the ski. The groove 44 is substantially V-shaped and also enlarged at its ends and accommodates that part of the rubber strip 42 which protrudes from the sole-bearing plate 40. The holding plate 43 has two screw holes 45 for screws for fixing the holding plate 43 to the ski.

Whereas FIG. S'isa bottom view, FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken on lines Vl-VI and VII-VII, respectively, in FIG. 5 and show the sole-bearing plate and the holding plate in the position in which they contact the ski. It is clearly apparent from FIG. 7 that the sole-bearing'plate 40 is somewhat thicker than the holding plate 43 so that the sole of the boot cannot hear on the holding plate. To locate the rubber strip 42 in the sole-bearing plate 40, the inside walls ofthe leg portions ofthe groove in the sole-bearing plate are formed with resiliently yieldable lips 46 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

The sole ofa ski boot which has been inserted into the binding rests on the sole-bearing plate 40. When the respective boot endholder responds to a twisting force, the sole-bearing plate 40 will follow the movement of the sole. In this embodiment too, the sole-bearing plate is movable within such a range that it can follow the movement of the boot into the release position. When the boot has been released, the solebearing plate is automatically returned to its normal position. As the sole-bearing plate has a much lower coefficient of friction than the sole of the boot. the friction between that plate and the ski is much lower than the'friction which would be present if the sole of the boot rested direct on the ski or on a sole-supporting plate which is immovably secured to the ski.

I claim:

I. In a safety ski binding including a toeholder and a heelhoider for engaging the ski boot and in which one of said boot endholders is moveable to a release position in response to an excessive twisting force which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski. and a sole-bearing plate which extends parallel to the surface of the ski and is disposed close to that boot endholder which is responsive to twisting forces, said sole-bearing plate being movably held to the surface ofthe ski by a retaining means, the improvement comprising said retaining means being at least one resilient means holding the solebearing plate to said ski so as to be movable in its main plane.

. extending parallel to the surface of the ski and also in a direction normal to said plane, and within a range which is sufficient to permit said sole-bearing plate to follow a movement of the sole of the boot relative to the ski until the boot is released by the respective boot endholders.

2. In a safety ski binding according to claim 1, the further improvement of the resilient retaining means extending from the sole-bearing plate toward the tip and rear end of the ski and being secured to the boot endholders ofthe binding.

3. In a safety ski binding, according to claim I, the further improvement of a resilient retaining means being provided to connect the sole-bearing plate at each end of said plate to respective boot endholders ofthe binding.

4. In a safety ski binding according to claim 1, the further improvement of the resilient'retaining means being endless.

5. In a safety ski binding according to claim 1. the further improvement of the resilient retaining means being slung around the boot endholder.

6. In a safety ski binding according to claim I, the further improvement of the resilient retaining means being secured with hooks to respective boot endholders.

7. In a safety ski binding according to claim I. the further improvement of the resilient retaining'means being comprised ofa strip ofelastic material.

8. In a safety ski binding according to claim 1, the further improvement ofthe resilient retaining means being detachably secured tothe sole-bearing plate.

9. In a safety ski binding according to claim I, the further improvement of the sole-bearing plate consisting of a plastic material having a low coefficient of friction.

10. In a safety ski binding according to claim 1, the further improvement of the sole-bearing plate comprising two layers and the resilient retaining means being secured between the two layers.

11. In a safety ski-binding according to claim 10, the further improvement of the two layers of the sole-bearing plate being detachably interconnected.

12. In a safety ski binding according to claim 1, the further improvement ofthe sole-bearing plate being formed on its side facing the surface of the ski with a groove which accommodates part of an endless strip of elastic material used as the resilient retaining means. 

